All this time
by Shadowhuntergirl1879
Summary: Just before his seventeenth birthday, Dean is left to live alone. But on top of causing many troubles for him, he meets a lot of very strange people. Friends as well as enemys. Not to forget the family business, of course. AU-ish, I guess. There may be various ships in later chapters! :)
1. Prologue

_Prologue - 5 years before the actual story takes place_**  
**

**AN: This is my first story about Supernatural so please be kind, even if the people are a bit out of character sometimes. I'll try my best. ^^  
** **As for the story, some characters (like John) are a lot different than in the actual show, but otherwise it just wouldn't have worked.  
The real chapters will be longer than this, but I can't say how much longer yet. I'll try to upload the first later today or tomorrow, so  
you can see for yourselves. Now, I hope you enjoy the story! :)**

„What? But, Dad, you can't do that! You can't just leave Dean and me here for a whole week!", the young boy exclaimed.

„Sammy, that's enough. Stop complaining."

His older brother steps in to stand in front of him.„Seriously, though why don't you take at least me along, Sir? I can fight, too."

The black-haired man shook his head in exasperation. „You have a far more important job and you know that. Haven't you understood that yet, Dean? Do I have to explain it to you, _again_?"

„No...", the eleven-year-old mumbled, looking at his feet.

His father, who had already turned towards the door, whirled around again and approached his firstborn, until they were only inches apart. „What was that!?", he shouted.

Sam winced, but Dean didn't move a muscle. Instead, he amended his answer to: „I know, that my job is to take care of Sammy, Sir. That goes without saying."

John Winchester immediately relaxed and even smiled at his boys, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. Cuffing Dean's shoulder and ruffling Sam's hair, he left his two sons alone to attend to some business in Chicago. He didn't know that his behavior already changed the boys, without anyone noticing. And another thing he didn't knew was, that he wouldn't like the way they changed.

„Alright, Sammy, what do you wanna do now?", the older brother said grinning, soon after the door had closed.

„Um, I don't know. We should probably sign in at some school, right? Since I don't want Dad to get mad at you again..." He dropped his gaze.

Even though, Sam didn't explicitly mention it, they both remembered the same thing. The last time, their father had left them alone for longer than three days. Dean had simply bought food (mostly burgers and pie from a neighborhood diner) for them and they had stayed up late to watch TV and discuss trivial things like if Batman would beat Superman and if so, how.

But the fun ended as soon as John came back. When he found out, what they had done or rather what they hadn't done (for example went to school or study) he got angry. Really angry. And when John got really angry, Dean was usually in trouble. Not because he would scream at him, no, worse, he beat him up. As he said he „disciplined" his son. He never beat Sammy, though. But that was mostly, because Dean wouldn't let him.

Now he knelt down in front of his little brother (they were about the same height like that) and smiled at him. As long as Sammy was well and happy, he could deal with anything, he thought.

"Don't you worry about that. But do you want to go to school? I mean, it's pretty boring..."

Just when Dean thought, he wasn't going to get an answer, the younger boy looked up at him. His eyes were a little red, but he knew his brother was strong enough not to cry over such trivial things. So he waited.

"Well, I know that living as a hunter is an honor, but – ", he trailed off.

"You know, you can tell me anything, right?"

"And you promise not to laugh at me?"

"If it makes you feel better.. Sure, promise." Dean grinned.

"I would like to go to school permanently and live a normal life...", Sam confessed and immediately dropped his gaze again.

His older brother didn't laugh. He didn't find that funny. Not at all. Sammy was what made this life on the road bearable- If he was gone, in school, Dean had nobody left. And he feared being alone more than anything else.

That's why he didn't reply to that. He just stood up and began to walk up and down the room.

Finally he said: "It's late. We should sleep and look for a nice school early tomorrow."

That was all. And they never talked about the topic again.

Until 5 years later...


	2. Here to stay?

**Chapter 1 – Here to stay?**

As the years passed, the Winchester boys learned how to fight and use various weapons. As they were often left alone, they developed a very strong bond, relying on each other more than anything else. Their Dad still didn't take them on hunting trips though, fearing they'd surpass him in skill.

So, they did that part themselves. Sam searched for cases in the city, where John left them, they'd find information together and Dean would eventually kill whatever monster they encountered.

And then, a week before his seventeenth birthday, he got the worst news ever. Or at least that was what he thought.

"DEAN!", John called his eldest son, who was just busy cleaning his gun, from the sofa.

Sighing, the one spoken to got up and, with a quick glance to his younger brother, walked to the living-room part of their motel apartment. "Yes, Sir?"

"I have something to tell you. Sit." He gestured to the armchair on the other side of the small table.

Hesitating, Dean obeyed.

"You'll turn seventeen soon..."

When his father didn't continue, he confirmed that.

"You like traveling all over the country, right?"

That was a dangerous question. He had to think of the answer that made his father proud. So he evaded it a bit. "Well, I like hunting."

"Yeah, as if you know the real thing. I've always kept you and your brother safe." He laughed grimly.

"Of course, Sir."

"Anyway, I want you to learn living in one place constantly."

Dean tried to hide his shock. He had the bad feeling, that this was going in a direction, he didn't like.

"I think, I don't quite understand. Will we be staying here?"

"_Ha._ Two mistakes. First, _we_ won't be staying anywhere, that's what I wanted to tell you in the first place. Since you'll be an adult soon, you might as well learn to live on your own. Second, you won't be staying _here_. I will provide you with an apartment in a small town about ten hours drive from here. Quite generous, ain't I? But you will be responsible for everything else, understood?"

He couldn't believe, what he was hearing. Was this a nightmare? Or some kind of bad joke? Not wanting to give in to his fear, he tried to clarify the situation.

"Does that mean, you'll leave Sammy and me for a longer time now?" He tried not to get his hopes for a positive answer up too high, but failed miserably. The idea was just too nice.

"Didn't you listen to me?! I said _alone._ Just you. No Sammy, no me, no anybody. Got it now?" His father was getting angry. Slowly, but surely.

"Yes, Sir."

Dean gulped. _No! This can't be happening! He can't take Sammy away from me. Anything but Sam. He's my responsibility. My little brother..._

Instead of saying this aloud, he asked: "What's going to happen to Sam then?"

"Your brother will get what he always wanted. That's what you'd like for him too, isn't it?" John grinned.

"Yeah? And what's that?"

"A normal life. He'll go to school and later college. He can stay at a dorm. It's all planned, Dean. You wouldn't want to disagree, would you?"

"No, Sir."

If that's the case, I have to talk to Sam, before anything else. And if it's really like that, I have to accept it. _Since my brother will get the life he deserves then._

"Hey, Sam!"

"What's wrong?", the younger one asked upon seeing Dean's solid expression. "What did he want?"

"Listen, Sam. This is important, so be honest with me, okay?"

"Sure." He stood up from his bed and sat down on Dean's instead, where his brother joined him a little while later.

"Do you still want a normal life, Sammy? Is that still your big dream?" His tone was emotionless.

"Uh, yes. I think so. I mean, I know it's probably not going to happen, but – "

"Well, congratulations! It is. You will go to school and college and become a lawyer or doctor or whatever you want. Ain't that great?" He smiled. And that was the moment he realized, that he was indeed happy for his brother, even if it meant for him to lose the one thing that he thought of as a joy in his life. And they'd still be able to see each other, after all, right.

Just like that, everything changed. Dean and Sam were separated for the first time in their lives, by 600 miles at that.


End file.
